Bishop's Cleeve tenants 'losing sleep' over energy bill

Cherice Brandist and Dawn Webley have raised concerns over a number of issues with the homes on Agate Drive

Disabled tenants have said they are "losing sleep" over fears about their energy bills rising further.

Dawn Webley, 59, and Cherice Brandist, 47, have raised concerns over the lack of insulation and gaps in the windows in the homes in Bishop's Cleeve.

They said they felt ignored by their landlord who was not taking their concerns seriously.

Sovereign Housing Association said a survey was being carried out and it would be in contact with residents.

Ms Webley and Mrs Brandist said they had spent almost two years battling to get the housing association to fix various issues with their bungalows.

"All of us along this drive [Agate Drive] are in this situation," Mrs Brandist said.

"None of us have been sleeping properly. We are fearful about it.

"It's not just the concern with how cold it is, but it's also a huge worry with regards to the heating costs.

"We've got no cavity wall insulation, the windows don't fit properly, they have gaps in them and are not sealed properly," she added.

Cherice Brandist said residents were worried about the cost of heating their homes this winter

Mrs Brandist said some of the issues might not be rectified until next year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"If that is the case, what provisions are they going to put in place to help us through this winter," she said.

A spokesperson for Sovereign Housing Association said the issues were "complex and need to be fully investigated" but would be resolved as quickly as possible.

"In August we instructed a third-party company to complete an independent survey of the property to help us understand the most appropriate course of action.

"We understand the findings will be with us shortly.

"Once we have received them, and reviewed the property against the original plans, we will be able to agree a way forward with our customer," added the spokesperson.